Voice Controlled Business Scheduling System and Method

ABSTRACT

A fully automated, voice controlled business appointment/reservation system is provided. The system has a natural language voice user interface that emulates a live office administrator for appointment/reservation bookkeeping. It includes an efficient availability searching mechanism which enables a telephone user to quickly search and reserve available time slot based on his preference. Other described novel features and implementation improvements include method and system for voice controlled appointment/reservation cancellation, method and system for voice controlled appointment/reservation waiting list, method and system for new user service sign-up and account creation, method and system enabling sequential selective dialing of a telephone user list by voice command, and method and system for scheduling data administration by voice commands.

RELATED U.S. APPLICATION DATA

This application is a continuation of U.S. patent application ser. No.10/443,363, filed May 22, 2003, which is a non-provisional that claimspriority from U.S. Application No. 60/392,572 filed Jun. 27, 2002.

FEDERALLY SPONSORED RESEARCH

Not Applicable.

SEQUENCE LISTING OR PROGRAM

Not Applicable.

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The invention is a business appointment/reservation system that is fullyvoice controlled. The preferred embodiment implements a natural languagevoice user interface using ASR (Automatic Speech Recognition), TTS (TextTo Speech), and VoiceXML (Voice Extensible Markup Language) techniques.

As targets of applications, such a system can be used by any businesswhere services are provided on appointment/reservation basis. Forexamples, it can be used by doctor offices, hairdresser shops,restaurants, or sport centers where customers need to make reservationfor different service facilities (tennis court, golf course, etc). Sucha system can also be used for service subscription or sign up (exampleshown in FIGS. 12A, 12B).

Note that this system can support multiple languages even though onlyEnglish is used to illustrate the voice user interface in the preferredimplementation.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

Currently there exists mainly two ways for a business office to makereservation/appointment. Most businesses employ an office administratorto take phone calls from customers and help them set upappointment/reservation. A few other businesses deploy a web-basedappointment/reservation tool that allows their customers makeappointment/reservation from the Internet.

The first option requires human resource and is therefore costly forbusinesses (particularly for small business that can not afford to hirea full time employee to take phone calls). The second option requirescustomers to have both computer and Internet access. It is therefore nota practical business solution.

Some patents and patent applications have also proposed to automate theservice by using telephone touch tone input (refer to U.S. Pat. No.5,289,531, U.S. Pat. No. 5,113,380, U.S. Pat. No. 5,093,854, US patentapplication publication No. 20010011225). This type of system collectstelephone user's input via DTMF (Dual Tone Multi Frequency) tonesgenerated when a telephone user presses telephone keys. It is alsocommonly called IVR (Interactive Voice Response) system because thesystem's responses to user are usually in the form of pre-recorded humanvoice.

In reality, a DTMF based IVR system does not have voice recognitioncapability and can not collect a user's voice input. While being madefully automatic for business owners, it is neither automatic norfriendly to telephone callers. In fact, human factor is entirelydisregarded in a DTMF based IVR system in that it does not allow callersto speak; it requires them to listen to often lengthy instructions andrespond by only pressing telephone keys.

Ideas of using voice recognition technique in businessappointment/reservation system are disclosed in US patent applicationpublications 20020035493 and 20010047264. Yet neither has addressed theissue of how to provide telephone callers with a natural language voiceuser interface that is both high performance and user friendly. Inparticular, a major miss from these patents is that they did not addressthe question of how should the proposed systems enable a telephone userto perform fast and efficient searching in order to find and reserveappointment/reservation of their chosen time. For example, a typicalbusiness (such as a physician clinic) has months of appointments datastored in the schedule database. Available time slots are located alonga wide spread time line. A simple “bingo play” type of search flow isbound to frustrate a great many users for being slow and unfriendly.Such “bingo play” type of search flow is where the user requests aspecific time first. The system then searches in the database to matchthat request. If the asked time is found, the appointment is set.Otherwise the user is prompted to try another time again and thus repeatthe call flow until the user succeeds.

The issue of performance and user friendliness for a natural languagevoice user interface based appointment/reservation system can also beeasily explained by a simple comparison of such a system to the one witha GUI (graphic user interface). A user with GUI can view an entire day'sor week's appointment/reservation display at a glance. By pointing andclicking he can quickly navigate between weeks or months scheduledisplays to find his preferred time slots. A telephone caller, on theother hand, does not have the capability of receiving information nearlyas quick. How and what the system should tell the caller becomes verycritical in the caller's decision making.

A natural language voice user interface provides information totelephone users in voice; it engages in natural language dialog with thecaller and therefore must consider human factors. For example, a systemmust not be “talking” for too long or else the listener will becomefrustrated or forget what has been told to him. On the other hand, asystem that does not “say” enough to provide sufficient information(such as to inform the caller of the appointment availability) will havehigh user service failure rate due to lack of information. Furthermore,a user would naturally become very upset when being repeatedly promptedfor retry in case of such service failure.

Therefore, in the context of a natural language voice user interfacebased appointment/reservation system, a high performance voice interfaceshould be able to help a telephone user to quickly find and reserve theavailable time slot of his preference. A user-friendly voice interfaceshould be able to balance the user-system natural language dialog so asto provide sufficient information to the user to ensure a successfultransaction and not to overwhelm him at the same time. To achieve bothobjects, it is necessary to design a fast database searching algorithmfor finding a time slot of user preference and support this searchingalgorithm with a voice interface that gives full consideration of humanfactors.

The solution to this issue and to other issues such as systemadministration by voice commands and new customer sign-up are providedin order to implement a fully voice controlled business schedulingsystem.

Accordingly, the objects and advantages of the present invention are:

-   -   1) To provide a high performance search algorithm supported by a        user friendly natural language voice user interface which        emulates a human office assistant, where this feature enables a        user to quickly find and reserve an appointment/reservation of        his preference.    -   2) To provide a back-up mechanism to a natural language voice        user interface to ensure a high service success rate and service        quality.    -   3) To automate new user service sign-up, account creation and        account updating via a natural language voice user interface.    -   4) To automate user appointment/reservation cancellation.    -   5) To automate an appointment/reservation waiting list via a        natural language voice user interface.    -   6) To automate business schedule administrations via a natural        language voice user interface.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

A fully voice controlled business scheduling system is provided. In thepreferred embodiment, the system uses ASR (Automatic SpeechRecognition), TTS (Text to Speech) as well as VoiceXML to implement anatural voice user interface. It is a virtual administrator thatemulates a live office administrator in charge of business schedulebookkeeping.

In one proposed feature, the present invention solves significantproblems in the art by combining a high performance searching algorithmwith human factors. The search algorithm reduces transaction time bydividing available search time/date range into multiple sub-ranges andperforms searching in the sub-range of a user's choice. This algorithmis supported by a user-friendly voice interface that emulates a humanoffice administrator.

According to the system searching methods for selecting available timeslots, the present invention is able to select anappointment/reservation time based on the user's preferred date orpreferred time of day.

The business scheduling system can be used either exclusively bypre-defined business customers (customers who have existing accounts asis the case for a doctor's office and private sport clubs), or by public(without existing account as is the case for restaurant reservation).

In an exclusive scheduling system, a user's profile needs to be definedand the user may pass an identity validation (with phone number, SocialSecurity Number, or other ASR recognizable information asidentification) prior to making an appointment/reservation. While in asystem that is accessible to the public, this information can be takenon the fly.

According to the aspects of making an appointment on a preferred dateand making an appointment on preferred time of day, to make anappointment, a user simply makes a phone call to the system whichemulates a live office administrator for takingappointments/reservation; it asks the user's time or date preference,provides useful hints (such as available search ranges) when probing forthe user's response, searches and sets appointments according to theuser's voice commands.

According to another aspect of the present invention, to cancel anappointment or reservation, a user simply makes a call to the virtualadministrator. Based on the account identity provided by the user, thesystem is able to find and cancel the reserved time slot for the user.

According to another aspect of the present invention, the inventivesystem can be used by the public for reservation of events such as arestaurant New Year party. The given example assumes no pre-defined userrecord in the system; the ASR recognizable information from a user (suchas credit card type and number, phone number, total number of people inreservation) can be taken on the fly during the transaction and savedinto database.

According to another aspect of the present invention when a user cannotmake an appointment/reservation due to availability, he may choose toput his request into a “waiting list”. Upon new availability, the systemwill allocate the newly available time slot to the first-in-line userand notify the user of the waiting status change.

According to another aspect of the present invention, the systemprovides different help features to users unfamiliar to a voiceinterface. These features include:

-   -   1) To provide help prompts as part of every system-user dialogue        in order for users to give on-target answer to system generated        questions.    -   2) To echo a user's input in order to confirm received        information and enhance the system's voice recognition accuracy.    -   3) To use an on-line audio system-user dialogue demo to        demonstrate how to use the system's voice user interface.    -   4) To provide explicit list of choices to help a user make        decision.    -   5) To transfer a user's call to the business office where the        user can receive further assistance.

According to another aspect of the present invention, a scheduleadministrator has to pass a security validation (pass code) in order togain system access. The schedule administrator may perform the followingtasks with voice commands:

-   -   1) Check appointment status.    -   2) Voice dialing the users on an appointment list.    -   3) Print or fax an appointment list.    -   4) Block or unblock an appointment time.    -   5) Cancel appointments.

According to another aspect of the present invention, the system iscapable of initiate automated telephone calls, emails, or othercommunications to send schedule reminder to users who have made businessreservations or appointments.

According to still another aspect of the present invention, the systemcan be used for new user sign-up or service subscription. It provides avoice recording feature to input information that is not ASRrecognizable in order to complete the self service or sign-up. Note thatthe same implementation techniques can be used in many other businessapplications including new patient sign-up in medical clinics.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

All drawings are made to describe the preferred implementation of thesystem.

FIG. 1 provides an overview of the system with all physical components.

FIG. 2 shows the necessary logical components of the system. It dividesthe application software into a distributed structure (a three-tiersystem) that is not only easy to implement, but also best for systemperformance, scalability and reliability.

FIG. 3 shows the software components derived from the structure of

FIG. 2, the interface between the components, and the programminglanguages used in these components for the preferred implementation.

FIG. 4 is a flow chart that illustrates the availableappointment/reservation time slot selection method based on user'spreferred date.

FIG. 5 is a flow chart that illustrates the availableappointment/reservation time slot selection method based on user'spreferred time of day.

FIGS. 6A, 6B, and 6C provide a complete implementation sequence diagramof a call flow in which a user makes an appointment based on hispreferred date.

FIG. 7 is an implementation sequence diagram of a call flow in which auser makes an appointment based on his preferred time of day.

FIGS. 8A and 8B provide a complete implementation sequence diagram of acall flow in which a user makes a reservation at a restaurant.

FIGS. 9A, 9B, and 9C provide a complete implementation sequence diagramof a call flow for a waiting list. The waiting list enables a cancelledappointment/reservation to be re-allocated to a user in the waitinglist.

FIGS. 10A and 10B provide a sequence diagram that demonstrates thedifferent help features that can be implemented to help users who arenot familiar with the system.

FIGS. 11A, 11B, 11C, 11D, and 11E provide an implementation sequencediagram of a call flow in which a schedule administrator performsmultiple administration tasks by voice commands in one telephone call.

FIGS. 12A and 12B provide an implementation sequence diagram of a callflow for automated sign-up of a business service. It allows the sign-upuser to provide information that is not ASR recognizable by means of avoice recording.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

The following sections provide a detailed description of the preferredimplementation. The first three sections provide a system overview withthe descriptions of its physical components, logical components and theinterfaces. The other sections focus on system software structure anddetail call flow implementations.

System Overview

In

FIG. 1, an overview of the inventive system 100 is shown withrepresentative physical components. The system 100 includes an end userterminal in the form of either a wire line phone 10 or wireless phone 11that are connected to a public switch 12 that serves calls originatedfrom or terminated to these terminals 10, 11.

The public telephony switch 12 connects to a speech server 13 via aninterface 13 a. The interface can be an ISDN PRI (Integrated ServicesDigital Network-Primary Rate Interface), a VoIP (Voice over IP) basedinterface, or any other suitable interfaces. The speech server 13 itselfacts as a voice terminal to the public switch 12 and it is capable ofreceiving inbound calls and originating outbound calls.

The major components of a typical commercial (off the shelf) speechserver 13 as shown include:

-   -   1) ASR (Automatic Speech Recognition) engine.    -   2) TTS (Text To Speech) engine.    -   3) ISDN (Integrated Services Digital Network) PRI (Primary Rate        Interface), or VoIP (Voice Over IP) interface that supports        inbound and outbound voice calls.    -   4) A VoiceXML (Voice Extensible Markup Language) interpreter or        proprietary API (Application Programming Interface).    -   5) System O&MP (Operation, Maintenance and Provisioning).

A web server may be used as the system's application server 15. This iswhere the applications software programs are stored and executed. Theapplication programs implement natural language voice user interface,application control logics and database access.

Although not shown, it should be understood that there can also be aweb-based GUI (Graphic User Interface) in parallel to the voice userinterface. The web-based GUI can be made an integrated part of thissystem to support same services features (such as make or cancelappointments) provided by the natural language voice user interface. TheGUI is particularly effective in schedule database administrations andapplication parameters configuration.

The speech server and the application server 15 communicate via path 13b crossing the Internet 14 using HTTP/HTTPS (Hyper Text TransferProtocol, /Secure).

More specifically, the speech server 13 downloads static and dynamicVoiceXML pages from the application server 15. These pages are parsedand interpreted by VoiceXML interpreter of the speech server 13 in orderto control call flow and user-system natural voice dialogues. Based onapplication logics, the speech server 13 submits requests, with thecollected user data, to JSP (Java Server Pages) on the applicationserver 15. These requests often involve accessing back end database 16.The JSP pages are designed to perform the requested tasks and, based onprocessing results and the application logic, dynamically generate andsend VoiceXML pages back to the speech server 13.

A back end relational database 16 stores data for business schedule,appointment/reservation information, users and administrator profiles.It supports SQL (Structured Query Language) for data query along path 15a and 16 a.

The administration of the schedule data and user information can be donethree different ways;

-   -   1) From computer 17, via web based GUI (Graphic User Interface)        along path 15 b and 15 a.    -   2) From computer 17, via a proprietary interface 16 a (shown as        a dotted link) within private networks.    -   3) Via a natural language voice user interface. (Shown and        further described by FIGS. 11A, 11B, 11C, 11D, 11E and the        associated descriptions).        Logical Components

In

FIG. 2 the system is divided into three logical components 21, 22, 23and thus is implemented as a typical three-tier web application system.The component 21, representing the “Presentation Layer”, may be a speechserver (also commonly called voice browser). The component 22,representing the “Business Layer”, may be an application server thatcontrols the application logic. The component 23, representing the “DataLayer”, may be a back-end relational database. The communication path 24may be HTTP/HTTPS. The path 25 may be a path supporting SQL.

Concurrent transaction processing is similar to that of a regular webapplication due to this structure. Multiple simultaneous user calls (tothe same telephone number) can be connected to one VoiceXML page thesame way as multiple users visit the same web site. Thus a business canhave multiple virtual administrators taking calls from customers. Tofully take advantage of this characteristic of resource efficiency, thesystem can be configured such that multiple businesses share onetelephone number for appointment/reservation service as well as a poolof telephone connections to speech server. The system is able toseparate and redirect customers easily to the business with which hewish to schedule appointment (example in FIGS. 6A, 6B, 6C).

Software Modules

FIG. 3 shows the software structure of the implementations. Theapplication software is divided into three program modules 31, 32 and33.

The module 31 can be a group of VoiceXML pages. These VoiceXML pages areinterpreted or parsed by speech server. They are designed to control thesystem-user dialogues. The VoiceXML pages have two major functions:

-   -   1) They collect user voice input that is necessary for a        specific task and send the data to the application server.    -   2) They “speak” to the end user, either to solicit a voice input        or to communicate a processing result received from the        application server.

The collected user data is sent to the second module 32 that can be agroup of JSP (Java Server Pages) pages. In the context of thisimplementation, the JSP pages are also dynamic VoiceXML pages. The JSPpages receive requests from the speech server. It accesses the databaseon the back end, depending on the access result and the business logic,dynamically generate and return the VoiceXML page to the speech server.

The backend database is where all data (schedule data, user andadministrator profile) is managed and stored. The third software module33 is therefore a database manager that provides access functions towardthe database. This manager provides the interface that manages thedatabase connection, data update, removal, searching, etc. . . . For thepreferred implementation, the data saved in database include but notlimited to:

-   -   1) Appointment/Reservation Table: appointment/reservation time        slot with time stamp, status (available or reserved), time slot        service type (which may also be used to determine the duration        of reservation), appointment alerting indicator (used to        determine whether or not a reminder is to be sent to the        customer), ID of customer who take the appointment/reservation.    -   2) Customer Profile Table: customer ID, customer name, contact        information, alerting address (telephone, email, or mobile short        message)    -   3) Administrator profile Table: administrator ID, administrator        name, PIN number or voice password phrase, contact information,        alerting address (telephone, email, or mobile short message),        schedule configuration parameters, maximal allowed retry in        failure handling.    -   4) Waiting List Table: customer ID, waiting line priority order,        time slot being requested.

The administrator's profile and system configuration are set prior toservice start via system administration interface (GUI based, webaccessible or in a private network).

A user's accounts and profile needs to be set prior to service if asystem serves existing business users only. In this case the user'sidentity needs to be validated based on the user account informationprior to a service.

Otherwise if the system is to serve both new and existing businessusers, a new user's profile may be taken on the fly and a new useraccount may be created when the service request is received (See exampleshown in FIGS. 12A and 12B).

The communication path 34 can be HTTP/HTTPS. The path 35 can be a JavaAPI (Application Programming Interface).

With these three software modules 31, 32, and 33, a typical call flowimplementation goes through the following sequence;

-   -   1) A user makes a call and is connected to the speech server.    -   2) From module 31, a VoiceXML page “speaks” on behalf of system.        It greets the user and asks questions in order to collect needed        information to further execute the task. User answers the        question to provide user input.    -   3) Once voice data is collected, the module 31 VoiceXML page        submits a request with the collected data to a JSP page in the        module 32.    -   4) The JSP page of the module 32 performs a database access with        received data through the module 33. Based on the database        access result returned by module 33 and business logics, it then        generates and returns a VoiceXML page to the module 31.    -   5) In the module 31, the VoiceXML page is parsed and the        processing result is communicated to the end user with natural        voice.

The system-user natural language dialogue may continue by repeating thesteps 2-5 until a call flow is completed.

Voice User Interface Error Handling and Help Features

For any given dialogue in a natural language voice user interface,exception events <No Input>, <No Match> and <Help> are possible andrequire error-handling implementation.

<No Input> occurs when the system asks a question and receives no userresponse within a pre-defined time.

Voice user interface uses speech recognition grammar to define andrecognize expected user speech input. The <No Match> event occurs whenASR cannot match an input speech with any predefined grammar.

The <Help> event occurs when system detects conditions requesting helpsto be provided to a user.

The techniques used in the preferred implementation for these eventshandling are illustrated in the example of FIG. 10A, and Figure 10B. Thetechniques include:

-   -   1) Re-prompts the question (shown in step 1004, 1009).    -   2) Provides example or hints to user for “on-target” answer        (shown in step 1006).    -   3) Help user by explicitly enlisting all choices or the expected        responses for a question (shown in step 1002).    -   4) Suggest and accept touch-tone DTMF key input instead of voice        input (shown in step 1006).    -   5) Play demo dialogue recording to demonstrate to user how to        search and reserve an appointment successfully (shown in step        1002).    -   6) Transfer user's call to the business office for a live        administrator assistance (shown in step 1010).        System Searching Algorithm for Selecting Available Times Slot

All time slots stored in scheduling database are initially blocked andnot available for booking. Scheduling database administrator mustunblock these time slots by specifying the business hour available forappointment/reservation and the appointment minimal interval (such as 15minutes, this can be changed based on business need). This will causethe business hours to be divided into available time slots. Each slothas a time stamp and a status indicator showing whether or not the timeis taken. The searching algorithm presented in this section includes twomethods for available time slots search and selection based on a user'spreference.

As all services do not need same amount of time, the searching algorithmalso assumes that the duration of the appointment has already beendetermined prior to searching. The duration can be determined by systemconfiguration (use default setting) or by user-systemdialogue/negotiation (the system may determine time needed for servicebased on the type of service requested). The system may search andreserve multiple continuous available time slots if one is notsufficient.

The system-user dialog structure which supports the search algorithmcomprises the following basic steps, these steps can be repeated insearching iterations (initial or retry) until either a user find a matchor call flow ends on exceptional conditions.

-   -   1) The system presents to the user at least one available search        range and optionally requests the user to select one. For        example:        -   (Statements guiding to a subsequent search on the entire            available range)        -   “The earliest appointment with doctor is on March 31”.        -   “There are appointments available from July 8th until            December 20th”.        -   (Questions requesting the user to select a specified            available range)        -   “Would you like to come on the week of March 24th, April            3rd, or April 10th?”        -   “Would you like to come in the month of May, or June?”        -   “How about the morning/afternoon of next Monday, March 31?”        -   “Would you like to come on next Friday September 27?”    -   2) The system presents to the user search options to collect the        user's choice. The options includes search on preferred date,        search on preferred time of day, or earliest possible. The        system will also collect the user's time or date preference        required by the selected option (no time or date preference is        asked of the user if the search option is for earliest        possible). For example:        -   (Statements presenting to the user search options to collect            the user's choice)        -   “Tell me your preferred date or time of day”.        -   “I can search appointment openings close to your preferred            date, your preferred time of day, or the earliest. Please            say ‘search on date’, ‘search on time’, or ‘the earliest’”,        -   “Tell me a time, for example, 8 AM”.        -   In return, the system expects a typical response from the            user to provide preference such as:        -   “Next Friday, please!”        -   “9 o' clock!” or “Friday at 9:00”.        -   “September 7^(th)”        -   “early next month, in the morning”        -   “The earliest possible!”    -   3) The system searches in scheduling database by applying        selected option and preference within the selected search range.        If no time slot is found, the system will restart searching by        asking the user's preference again.    -   4) To avoid overwhelming the user with too many choices, the        system may optionally apply a process that uses configurable        “window” or a maximal number to select the found available time        slots most close to the user's preference. The system then        presents to the user these slots and requests the user to make a        selection.    -   5) If the user accepts a time slot, the system reserves that        slot in scheduling database for the user. Otherwise if no slot        is accepted, the system will restart searching by asking the        user's preference again.

A user may not find a satisfactory time slot after a few searches basedon his preferences. A configurable parameter defining maximal searchingretries is used to determine if the system-user dialogue should beterminated by applying “Last Option.”

Maximal searching retries is used to avoid searching deadlock, which mayirritate users psychologically. “Last Option” is the process that thesystem applies when user exceeds maximal retries. In a preferredimplementation, similar to that shown by FIG. 10B, step 1010, the “LastOption” may be to transfer user's call to the business office where theuser will receive further assistance. Another alternative is to play amessage to the user to suggest a different service solution (forexample, announce a system error message and provide another number tocall).

Select Available Time Based on User's Preferred Date

This method is illustrated by flow chart in FIG. 4. The method assumesthe available search range has been selected. When a user says apreferred appointment/reservation date, the system makes a search todetermine if at least one time slot is available for that date. Thefound time slots list is offered to the user for selection.

If the user selects an offered time, the system makes a confirmation ofthe time and date. It then saves the appointment/reservation data forthe user.

If none of the time on the list is selected, the system will ask theuser for a different preference and restart the search process.

When no available time is found on the preferred date, the systemsearches for alternative available dates that are close to the preferreddate.

To avoid overwhelming the user with too many time slots, a criterion isoptionally applied to determine how “close” the alternative date must beto the preferred date (example, list of dates within one week “window”to the preferred date, or a configurable number of most close matches).

If at least one alternative date is found, the system offers the datesto the user for selection. If the user does not select any of thealternative date the system will ask the user's preference again andrestart the search process.

When the total number of retry exceeds a predetermined allowed maximum,the system may apply the last option.

Note that each time a user is offered a list of available dates, times,or available search ranges, he becomes better informed on availabilityand thus becomes better “trained” on picking his next preference. Hisnext selection is more likely to be on target than his last try. Thesearching algorithm is designed such that his chance to succeed inmaking an appointment/reservation should improve with each newiteration.

Select Time Based on User's Preferred Time of Day

This method is illustrated by flow chart in FIG. 5. It assumes theavailable search range has been selected. This process starts when auser says his preferred time of day (example, “around 8 AM”). The systemsearches for a list of dates that have available time slot around thattime.

If no available date with preferred time is found, the system will askthe user's for a different preference and restart the search process.Otherwise, the system offers the found list of dates and timecombinations to the user for selection.

If the user selects a time and date, the system makes a confirmation ofthe time and date and reserves the time slot for the user.

If none of the time slot on the list is selected, the system will askthe user for a different preference again and restart the searchprocess.

To avoid overwhelming the user with too many time slots, a criterion isoptionally applied to determine how “close” the selected time slots mustbe to the preferred time (example, within half an hour “window” of 8:00AM, or a configurable number of most close matches).

When the number of retry exceeds a predetermined allowed maximum, thesystem may apply the last option.

Service Appointment/Reservation by Group

Some businesses may offer service to group of customers (such asrestaurant reservations, group lesson for sport, etc . . . ). Theschedule data is handled essentially the same way except the systemaccepts more than one customer per appointment/reservation. In additionto the schedule data defined for one-on-one appointment, an extraparameter is needed to control the maximum number of customer that aparticular time slot may accept. For example, if the maximum number ofcustomers a tennis lesson can accept is 8 persons for the 10:00 AMclass, then the system may accept calls for class reservation untiltotal reservation reaches 8 persons.

The call flow of FIG. 8A and FIG. 8B, “Restaurant Reservation”illustrates such an example of group reservation.

Implementation Descriptions

This section presents implementation examples by way of sequencediagrams of some major call flows. These call flows are selected toillustrate basic concepts of the present invention although variationswithin the intended scope of the present invention are possible.

A “User” symbol is used to represent the caller or system user. Naturallanguage dialogue is used to describe the interactions between user andVoiceXML pages. This is to reflect the fact that the VoiceXML pages thatare parsed and interpreted by the speech server, are the controllingsoftware that “listen” and “speak” to user.

To reflect accurately the interface between the three software modules31, 32, 33 in FIG. 3, in all of the implementation sequence diagrams,the name in the format of <programName.jsp> is used to represent arequest or a call to the module 32 that may contain JSP pages. The namein the format of <programName.VXML> is used to represent the VoiceXMLpage of module 31 that is either static or generated by the JSP module.The name in the format of <DBManager.methodName( )> is used to representa call to the database manager of module 33 for database access.

Call Flow of “User Makes an Appointment on Preferred Date”, FIG. 6A, 6B,6C

In this call flow implementation illustrated by FIGS. 6A, 6B, and 6C, anappointment is made by a user based on his preferred date. The exampleapplies for a case in which multiple doctors share one appointmenttelephone number and the automated appointment service can only be usedby a doctor's existing patients who have user profile data stored in thesystem.

Step 6001: A user makes a call to a number assigned forappointment/reservation line. This call connects the user to the firstVoiceXML page for the appointment service and starts the system-userdialog.

Step 6002: The appointment phone number is shared by more than onedoctor in this example. The system needs to know with whom the userwishes to make an appointment.

Step 6003: In this example, the automated appointment line is made toserve only the doctor's existing patients (new patient appointment isusually processed directly by the physician office and requires officeadministrator attentions). Therefore the user's ID is collected foraccess validation.

Step 6004: This step probes the user for appointment service type. Theuser can make/check/cancel an appointment.

Step 6005: VoiceXML page calls the JSP page <ValidateUser.jsp> tovalidate the received user ID.

Step 6006: The JSP page accesses the backend database via DBManager bycalling <DBManager.validateUser( )>. Another access to the backenddatabase is also performed to obtain available search ranges.

Step 6007: Based on the result from the database access and theapplication logic, the JSP page dynamically generates and returns aVoiceXML page <CollectPreference.VXML> to speech server. This pagepresents to the user available search ranges and collect the user'spreferences.

Step 6008: The user provides his preferred date.

Step 6009: The DBManager searches for the available time slot on thepreferred date, when no available time is found, it provides a fewalternative dates that are close to the user's preference (Refer tosection “Select Available Time Based on Preferred Date”).

Step 6010: For a selected date, a request is submitted to a JSP page.DBManager is called to search for a list of available times. The searchresult are enlisted in the dynamically generated VoiceXML page<OfferedTime.VXML> for the user to select.

Step 6011: The user “barges in” on the system prompt to make his timeselection. Note that “barge in” is an speech server feature. It allowsthe user to interrupt or talk over an audio prompt by system.

Step 6012: The system echoes the user's date/time selection and requestsa confirmation before storing the information into the database. Theconfirmation technique is designed to eliminate any selection error(mistake made either by the user or by ASR). In this case, the user maybe given another chance to reselect a time if a mistake is made.

The system stores appointment data upon the user's confirmation.Otherwise, if no time slot is chosen, the system will ask the user for adifferent preference and restart the search process.

Call Flow of “User Makes an Appointment on Preferred Time of Day”, FIG.7

This sequence implements a call flow in which system selects availabletime slot based on user's preferred time of day. The sequence startswith the same flow as by FIGS. 6A, 6B, steps 6001 through 6007.

Step 7001: The user says a preferred time of day.

Step 7002: The system is able to find dates that have the user'spreferred time slot available. The user accepts one of the offeredslots.

Call Flow of “Restaurant Reservation”, FIG. 8A, 8B

This call flow automates a reservation service in a restaurant. Thereservation service is open to public. Therefore the system requires nopre-defined user profile or ID validation. The call flow demonstratesthat certain user information such as telephone number and credit cardinformation can be voice-input on the fly and be saved intoappointment/reservation database.

DTMF based user interface is implemented as alternative input mode foruser.

Step 8001: The question is designed to separate the party reservationfrom other services. (When user says no, he may be directed to thereservation booking of a different event or live office administratorassistance). Multiple services or events reservations can be accessedvia the same telephone number.

Step 8002: The system prompts can always be used for advertisement,information service as well as for guiding user on how to use thesystem.

Step 8003: The system is capable of group reservation as shown in thiscase.

Steps 8004-8006: The user's phone number, credit card information arecollected within one VoiceXML page. The DTMF or touch-tone key interfaceis an alternative to voice input.

Step 8007: The system requests confirmation from the user in order toeliminate input error (ASR or user errors). This step is not necessarybut is recommended whenever important user information is collected(such as a credit card number). A user will be given a chance tore-enter the information if he does not confirm it.

Call Flow of “Waiting List”, FIGS. 9A, 9B, 9C

FIGS. 9A, 9B, and 9C show three basic operations of the “Waiting List”feature:

-   -   1) A user A saves his reservation request into a waiting list.    -   2) The system receives and process cancellation request from        another user B.    -   3) The system searches and finds first-in-line user, the user A,        in waiting list and determines that user A's request can be        accepted. The system notifies the user A of the reservation        status change.

For a group reservation, Waiting List service starts when the predefinedgroup capacity is exceeded. For one-on-one business appointment (such asdoctor appointment, or private tennis lesson), Waiting List servicestarts when system failed to find a time slot that matches the user'sneed.

Step 9001: The user A attempts to make a reservation as in FIG. 8A steps8001-8003.

Step 9002: The system determines that the maximal reservation capacityhas been exceeded for the party. It invokes and offers the “WaitingList” service to the user A.

Step 9003: The user A provides information needed for reservation (sameas in FIG. 8A, 8B steps 8004-End) and the system save the informationinto the waiting list.

Step 9004: The system receives a request of reservation cancellationfrom the user B.

Step 9005: The system uses the user B's telephone number to validate hisaccess and identify the reservation record in database. The reservationis subsequently found and cancelled.

Step 9006: The system searches the waiting list and finds the user A tobe the first in line user. The system updates the user A's information,change his reservation status from “waiting” to “reserved”. The systeminitiates an outbound call toward the user A's phone number.

Step 9007: The call is originated from the speech server.

Step 9008: Upon call connection, the system informs the user A about thechange of his reservation status.

Note that the system initiated automatic outbound calls is also used forsending reminder to users to remind them of theirappointment/reservation time. In fact, the communication techniques foralerting and reminder of business schedule are not limited to automatedtelephone calls. A user's profile may be configured such that he maychoose his preferred alerting technique. The system may be configured todetermine how early before a scheduled appointment/reservation thereminder is to be sent. Based on these parameters, the system may scanthe business schedule database on a regular basis, identify the users tobe alerted, initiates automated outbound calls, or emails, or mobileshort message services to remind them of the scheduled time and service.

Call Flow of Features “Voice Interactive Helps”, FIGS. 10A, 10B

This implementation example in FIGS. 10A and 10B demonstrates a fewvoice-interactive helps features for users who are unfamiliar with thesystem.

Refer to the section “Voice User Interface Error Handling and HelpFeatures” for a summary of techniques used to process call flowexception cases or user error handling.

Step 1001: The user asks for help.

Step 1002: The system offers help features that include:

-   -   1) Detailed instruction that enlists user's choices or options.    -   2) A pre-recorded demo of user-system dialog for making        appointment/reservation.    -   3) Transferring the call to the business office where the user        can receive live office administrator assistance.

In this example, the user chooses to listen to the demo recording.

Step 1003: When the demo is ended, the system restarts the dialogue.

Step 1004: The system probes the user's preference by providing helpinginformation such as the available search ranges.

Step 1005: <No Input> event occurs when the user fails to respond withina pre-defined time.

Step 1006: Upon timeout, the system may provide further help byproviding more information or suggest DTMF (touch tone) input.

Step 1007: To echo the input from the user is another technique thesystem uses to ensure the accuracy of the speech input. Sometimes theconfirmation is made in the form of a direct question such as “you havesaid . . . , is this correct?” In this step the confirmation is made inan indirect way by echo user's input without asking for a yes/noconfirmation. If the user does not say anything negative, the systemwould move ahead to the next step.

Step 1008: The user did not confirm the selection.

Step 1009: Upon user's reaction, the system restarts the date selectionprocess for the user.

Step 1010: The user wants to talk to a live office administrator forfurther assistance. Upon his request, the call is transferred to thebusiness office.

The feature of transferring call to business office can also be used inexceptional call flow handling such as when system fails to collect auser's input after a predefined number of retries or, when system failsto find an appointment acceptable by a user after a predefined number ofretries. In these situations, the system can initiate the call transferwithout being requested by the user.

Call Flow of “Appointment Status Administration”, FIGS. 11A, 11B, 11C,

The implementation sequence in FIGS. 11A, 11B, 11C, 11D and 11E providesa comprehensive example in which a schedule administrator uses thesystem to perform appointment status checking, set available appointmenttime, cancel appointments, make calls to users on the appointment list,send fax or print appointment list, all by voice commands.

Step 1101: A schedule administrator first accesses the system with hisaccount ID as a regular user. While validating his user ID, the systemidentifies him as administrator. The system then uses “Voice Password”or PIN to perform security check on administrator's identity. Theadministrator is required to either say his voice password phrase or keyin his PIN before he can access administration data.

Step 1102: The schedule administrator provides a time range for systemto check on appointment status.

Step 1103: The system compiles a list of appointments with associateduser information and offers services (administrative tasks) foradministrator to select. In this example the services includes sendingprint/fax of the appointment list, voice-dialing users on the list, andcanceling appointments. The administrator chooses voice-dialing users onthe list.

Step 1104: The system connects the administrator with the next user onthe list. The system announces the appointment time and the user name tothe administrator before making the call for confirmation.

Note that with this telephone list voice-dialing feature, theadministrator can skip any user on the list and move to call the nextone with voice commands. He can also terminate the calling process priorto or after the call connection by voice command or by entering controlkeys. The implementation of this feature requires that upon calltermination each call session resumes process within speech server. (InVXML implementation, the <transfer bridge=“true” . . . > is set so thatwhen the telephone call terminates, the speech session resumes with theVXML interpreter).

Step 1105: The administrator finishes calling users on the list.

Step 1106: The alerting status of appointments is set in the database toindicate that the users have already received appointment/reservationreminder.

Step 1107: The system is ready for the next administration task.

Step 1108: The administrator requests an appointment status fax. The faxnumber is retrieved from the administrator's profile and the appointmentlist is sent by fax. In this case, the fax number may also be providedby the administrator by voice command.

Step 1109: The administrator requests the system to set availableappointment/reservation time.

Step 1110: The administrator provides a time range. The available timeslots are generated and are stored into the back end database.

Step 1111: The administrator requests canceling appointments.

Step 1112: The administrator provides a time range.

Step 1113: The system confirms with the administrator that theappointments are indeed to be cancelled.

Step 1114: The system will generate automated telephone calls (oremails, or mobile phone short message services) to notify the affectedusers if the administrator does not make calls via voice dialing.

Call Flow of “User Sign Up Ice Skating Class”, FIGS. 12A, 12B

This implementation example in FIG. 12A and 12B shows a system used forbusiness service sign-up. It also demonstrates the use of voicerecording as a means to provide the business administrator with detaileduser information that is not ASR recognizable.

New user sign-up service usually consumes significant time for businessoffice administrators. While theoretically it is possible to fullyautomate a sign-up service by collecting user information using existingspeech recognition techniques, it is in reality very hard to achievesatisfactory speech recognition accuracy when user's speech inputvocabulary base becomes too big (for example, for input home address byvoice, too many street names will lead to very poor ASR performance).One solution to this problem is to combine the old fashioned voicerecording into a speech recognition based voice user interface as shownby this example.

Step 1201: The system enlists service offers for the user's choice.

Step 1202: The telephone number is used to establish the customer recordas well as contact.

Step 1203: The voice recording is used to record non ASR recognizableuser information in order to assist the sign-up administration. In thiscase, the system needs the user's home address for invoicing.

Step 1204: The user can listen and save the recording if it issatisfactory. Otherwise he can also re-record.

Step 1205: The reservation is complete with the recording information.

To integrate a voice recording with other user account information, therecordings is first saved in audio format files and is assigned an URL(Uniform Resource Locator) address. To protect user information privacythis address must be accessible only by authorized administrator. TheURL address is saved together with other user account information indatabase. When an authorized administrator update or view user accountinformation via GUI (graphic user interface), the recording URL link isdisplayed together with other textual information. By “point and click”the URL link, the administrator can access the audio files and listen tothe voice recording for user information.

Note that alternately, the administrator can also listen to the audiofile via natural language voice interface.

1. A method of automating cancellation of business schedule using anatural language voice user interface through which a user accesses ascheduling database via the Internet to cancel an appointment orreservation made for said user, comprising: (a) through said naturallanguage voice user interface obtaining an identity from said user; (b)validating said identity for authorizing access by said user to saidscheduling database, (c) searching said scheduling database for anappointment or reservation associated with said identity, (d) throughsaid natural language voice user interface presenting to said user saidappointment or reservation for confirmation by said user on cancellationthereof, (e) canceling in said scheduling database said appointment orreservation associated with said identity upon said confirmation.
 2. Themethod of claim 1 wherein said natural language voice user interface isimplemented with VoiceXML.
 3. A system for business scheduleadministration using a natural language voice user interface throughwhich an administrator accesses a scheduling database via the Internetto check schedule, to unblock and block schedule, to cancel schedule,and to fax a schedule listing, comprising: (a) first means, using saidnatural language voice user interface, for obtaining an identity fromsaid administrator and for validating said identity for authorizingaccess by said administrator to said scheduling database, (b) secondmeans, using said natural language voice user interface, for presentingto said administrator a plurality of administration tasks for selectionthereof, said plurality of administration tasks including checkingschedule, schedule blocking, schedule unblocking, schedule cancellation,and sending fax of scheduling list, (c) third means, using said naturallanguage voice user interface, for obtaining said administrator's inputspecifying a time range in which a selected one of said plurality ofadministration tasks selected by said second means will be performed,(d) fourth means, using said natural language voice user interface, forpresenting to said administrator scheduling status information for saidspecified time range, (e) fifth means, using said natural language voiceuser interface, for accessing said scheduling database and forunblocking all time slots within said specified time range, (f) sixthmeans, using said natural language voice user interface, for accessingsaid scheduling database to cancel all appointments or reservationsfound within said specified time range, (g) seventh means, using saidnatural language voice user interface, for accessing said schedulingdatabase to block all time slots within said specified time range, (h)eighth means, using said natural language voice user interface, foraccessing said scheduling database to compile and send a fax ofscheduling information of said specified time range, said fax being sentto either a predetermined fax number or a fax number provided by saidadministrator via said natural language voice user interface.
 4. Thesystem of claim 3, further comprising a means for sending notices, viasystem initiated automated communications, to users whose schedules arechanged by said administrator.
 5. The system of claim 3 wherein saidnatural language voice user interface is implemented with VoiceXML. 6.The system of claim 3 wherein said natural language voice user interfaceis coupled with a touch tone based user interface capable of collectingsaid administrator's input through a telephone keypad.
 7. A method ofautomating business scheduling using a natural language voice userinterface through which a user accesses a scheduling database via theInternet to search availability and reserve a time slot based onpreferences of said user, said method comprising: (a) through saidnatural language voice user interface providing to said user at leastone available search range for said user selection thereof; (b) throughsaid natural language voice user interface providing to said user aplurality of search options for said user selection thereof, saidplurality of search options including search on preferred date,preferred time of day, and earliest available time slots; (c) throughsaid natural language voice user interface obtaining said user'spreferences as required by a selected one of said plurality of searchoptions selected in step (b); (d) searching said scheduling database foravailable time slots by applying said selected one of said plurality ofsearch options within a selected one of said at least one availablesearch range selected in step (a) in order to produce a search result;(e) selecting a plurality of available time slots from said searchresult, said plurality of available time slots being closest in time tosaid user's preference, a total number of said plurality of availabletime slots not exceeding a predetermined value; (f) through said naturallanguage voice user interface providing to said user said plurality ofavailable time slots for said user selection of a chosen time slot; (g)reserving said chosen time slot in said scheduling database for saiduser; and (h) repeating steps (a) through (h), if said search resultfrom step (d) contains no available time slot or if no said plurality ofavailable time slots is chosen by said user in step (f), and only if apredetermined number of repetitions of steps (a) through (h) has notbeen exceeded. Whereby said user can reserve said preferred time slot byself service.
 8. The method of claim 7, further comprising the step ofsending schedule reminder to said user via system initiated automatedcommunication.
 9. The method of claim 7 wherein said natural languagevoice user interface is coupled with a touch tone based user interfacecapable of collecting said user's input through a telephone keypad. 10.The method of claim 7 wherein said natural language voice user interfaceis coupled with a plurality of predetermined call transfer triggerconditions, said plurality of predetermined call transfer triggerconditions causing said user to be connected to a predetermined servicetelephone number for live office personnel assistance.
 11. The method ofclaim 7, further comprising the step of placing said user into a waitinglist when no available time slot is found, and the step of assigning anewly available time slot to a user of said waiting list on a first comefirst serve basis.